Grumpy Old Liv
Grumpy Old Liv is the first episode of Season 2 and the fourteenth episode of the series overall. It aired on October 6, 2015. The total live U.S. viewers were 1.53 million. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/10/07/tuesday-final-ratings-oct-6-2015/477169/ Plot Liv consumes the brains of a cantankerous old man to help gain insight into his death. After receiving an anonymous call on the tipster hotline, Liv and Detective Babineaux stop by the residence of Byron Thistlewaite, to question the mysterious caller. Meanwhile, Ravi suspects that Major might be experiencing a side effect of the cure, and Liv pays Blaine a surprise visit.http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20150929cw02/ Recap The episode begins three months after the events of Season One. Liv visits her brother, Evan, in his hospital room. Eva comes in and orders Liv out, and reminds her daughter that if Dr. Long hadn't been on duty and shared their blood type, Evan would be dead. She figures that Liv is on drugs, and Liv says that she isn't but that Eva wouldn't believe the truth if she told her. Evan wakes up and tells Liv to go away and never come back. A woman is out jogging and goes past an old man working on his car. She hears someone screaming and turns back to look. The next day, Ravi and Liv go to the crime scene. Ravi warns that Major hasn't been himself and can't find a job that gives his life meaning. They arrive at the crime scene and find the old man crushed beneath the car he was working on, and Clive checking the body. He explains that the victim was Wendell Gale, age 77. The CSI tech has confirmed that the jack is fully functional and didn't fail. There's a boot print in Wendell's blood, and prints leading to the basement. There's also a single thick tire track like a bike... or a medical scooter. Wendell's sister-in-law, Clara, drives up on a medical scooter and says that she reported the body. She admits that nobody liked him since 30 years ago when his fibromyalgia set in and he became very grouchy. Wendell's wife left him and Clara took pity on him. At the morgue, Liv cooks up Wendell's brain and eats it. Ravi figures that she's feeling sorry for herself, and Liv insists that his rat New Hope looks nervous every time she gets close to it. She tells Ravi she's done with interpersonal relationships until she becomes human again. Ravi figures that drinks with her new roommate didn't go well, and Liv admits that she's fine... but she's no Peyton. He reminds her that she used up the tainted Utopium, and he's had no luck recreating it. Liv insists that it's safer that Blaine is cured, and figures that they need Blaine to find more utopium. Blaine is working as a funeral director offering coffins. At the station, the police hold a posthumous ceremony for the dead Suzuki, and offer the medal to Suzuki's widow. Clive watches as the chief talks about how Suzuki sacrificed his life fighting drug dealers. He then goes to the morgue where Liv is sleeping. He says that a neighbor left an anonymous tip on the hotline and asks if she has had any visions; Liv snaps at him. Clive figures that she has a hangover and tells her he'll go solo - she crankily goes with him. At Wendell's neighborhood, Clive asks Liv if Suzuki deserved the Medal of Honor. He asks how her relationship with Major is, pointing out that she's his alibi for the night of the murders. Liv insists that they're not together and is sure that he didn't sneak out. Clive points out that Suzuki's wound looks self-inflicted and Julien, the guy who Major accused of killing kids, was one of the victims. Liv points out that the investigation is closed. They arrive at the home of Byron Thistlewaite and identify themselves. and explain that they identified him from caller ID. Liv calls his t-shirt saying "T-shirts are passé" stupid, and he retorts it's supposed to be ironic. They play a recording of Byron's message. It mentions eggs and threats, and Byron insists that he doesn't want to get involved. They go into his house and sit on the sofa, Liv acidentally sitting on a dog squeaker toy. Byron reluctantly tells them there's an arrogant teenage kid in the neighborhood, Rodney Ricks, and a few nights before Wendell was murdered, Rodney and a few of his homies were egging Wendell's house. Wendell tasered the boy and kicked him, and Rodney swore that he'd get revenge. Byron lives across the street from Wendell and heard them yelling. Back at the morgue, Wendell's racist side is emerging as Liv complains to Ravi about Asian drivers. They're sending a body to the Shady Plots Funeral Home, which is under new ownership. She sees the alias of the owner and figures out that Blaine is working there. That night, Liv visits the funeral home and Blaine senses her arrival. He explains that he had enough startup capital from his 'previous venture' to buy the funeral home, and now zombies come to him for brains. Blaine savors some chocolate and wonders why she's still a zombie. He figures that she digs being a hero and realizes that she needs him to make the cure. Blaine gives her a tour and points out that Major wasn't among the list of the dead at Meat Cute. He figures that Major is now a zombie, and Liv asks what the utopium from the boat party was cut with. Blaine doesn't see why he should help now that he's gone legit, and Liv warns that they're not sure the cure is permanent. She says that he's on borrowed time and if they don't get the cure, he could revert. Blaine offers to make some enquiries and insists that he's a changed man. Blaine then goes downstairs to where his new group of men have brought in a shipment of utopium. The next day, Major is out jogging in the park. He ignores a call from Liv and meets with his client, Bill. Major works with him as his personal trainer. Afterward, he gets another call from Liv and finally takes it. Liv warns him that Clive is grilling her about Major's Meat Cute alibi. Later at the station, Liv meets Clive at his desk and says that the police brought in Rodney. She irritably says that she didn't have a vision but just suspects him on general principles. Clive says that he talked to Evan and got a sketch of the man who hired him at Meat Cute. It's a drawing of Blaine, and it matches the sketch Clive had made of the man he met. Clive points out that Suzuki had written Blaine's name in his own blood at Meat Cute, and asks if Liv has ever seen him. She quickly denies knowing Blaine. Clive and Liv question Rodney, who tells them that they should be going after squirrels. Wendell hated them and him and his friends tossed bags of sunflower seeds into his yards to antagonise him. The old man poisoned the squirrels, stacked them up, and burned them. Clive examines Rodney's boot and checks the print, but it doesn't match the boot print at the crime scene. Meanwhile, Rodney drinks a Max Rager energy drink. At his office, Vaughn is playing virtual tennis and talking with a board member who is worried about the bad PR. Vaughn's assistant Gilda comes in and Vaughn points out that he's made them eight billion dollars. They worry that Super Max will have the same effects as Max Rager, and Vaughn insists that they'll be too wealthy to care. Once Vaughn ends the call, Gilda assures her boss that he'll be untouchable once Super Max hits the shelf. She says that they've located the instrument of the zombies' destruction and seals the doors so no-one can overhear them. When Major goes to the home of his new client, Mr. Addis, Addis' daughter lets him in. As Addis comes in, Major senses that he's a zombie. When he goes home, he tells Ravi that one of his clients was a zombie. He admits that Liv doesn't set off his sense, but he has felt it once before. At the station, Clive calls Liv in. He says that someone keyed Wendell's car and the man filed an insurance claim. The detective figures that Rodney ditches his boots. An african-american suspect harrasses Liv sexually, and when she prepares to attack him, Clive warns him off. Liv says that Clive's "one of the good ones", and Clive leaves before he loses his temper. Ravi calls Liv and tells her about Major's new sense. They figure that New Hope has the same sense. She bumps into Jimmy the sketch artist and he wags his finger at her, and Liv gets a memory flash of Clara complaining that she can't sell her place due to the state of his and keying his car. Once Jimmy leaves, Clive asks if Liv is having lady problems. She tells Clive about her vision and how she was jogging in it. That night, Blaine goes to home of Don E, Scott E's brother, and offers to pay him for info on how he cut the utopium on the night of the boat party. Don E says that he knows who cut it and asks if there's a finder's fee, and Blaine chuckles. The next day, Clive and Liv visit Clara at home. She's hosting a card game and Clive points out their suspicions. The other women confirm that Clara was with them when they heard Wendell's scream. One woman offers Liv some food, and Liv has a vision of Wendell offering bologna to a cocker spaniel to lure it in. Outside, she tells Clive what she saw and realizes that the dog belonged to Byron because of the dog toys that he had. She suggests that Byron killed Wendell and then called in the tip fingering Rodney. They visit Byron again and Liv immediately asks where his dog is. Byron calls to the dog, Lana, which comes out. Clive steps in and asks where he was when Wendell was killed. He says that he was at a pub watching a soccer game. At the morgue, Clive, Liv, and Ravi bring up the footage from the CCTV and see Byron going into the pub. His alibi checks out, but Clive checked out the pub and found an exit out of range of the camera. He also found a missing dog poster for Lana that has been up for a week. Clive suggests that Byron went to the pub and drank, and went back to check on Wendell. When he found the old man under his car, Byron lost it and killed him. Then Lana came back a couple of days later. Clive points out on the video that Byron is wearing boots like the ones at the crime scene. Once Clive gets a warrant, he takes officers to search Byron's house. They find the boots and confirm that their print matches the one at the crime scene. Byron breaks down and says that he thought Wendell killed Lana. He was drunk and left the pub to accuse Wendell of having something to do with Lana's disappearance. When he found the old man under his car and confronted him, Wendell antagonized him by suggesting Lana was dead. Byron lost it and kicked the car in anger, whereupon the jack became dislodged and the car collapsed, killing him. He found Lana in Wendell's basement and took her home. Crying, Byron tells Lana that he's going to have to leave her. Later at the morgue, Ravi says that they're cremating Wendell because none of his next of kin wanted to claim the body. Liv realizes that she's not going to give up on life the way that Wendell did, and goes to the hospital to see Evan. Vaughn meets with Major and assures him that zombies don't deserve their mercy. He insists that they're saving lives. Addis checks on his daughter and makes sure that she's okay. As he goes to the kitchen, a masked man stabs him in the neck with a hypodermic needle. Major says that Vaughn has the wrong man for the job, and the CEO plays a recording of Ravi's call to Liv about Major's zombie sense. The company's technicians have developed an algorithm to detect people who buy spicy food, hair dye, and tanning sessions on their credit cards. There are 322 people, and Vaughn tells Major that he has to determine which ones are zombies and kill them. When Major refuses to do it, Vaughn plays the recording of Liv telling Ravi about Clive investigating Major. Major still refuses, and Vaughn tells him that they do know of one definite zombie - Liv. If Major doesn't co-operate, than they'll start with her. Major takes Addis' body to a bridge, shoots it in the head, and throws it over the side. Gilda is watching from nearby and looks on in satisfaction. Liv sits at home and feels sorry for herself. Her roommate calls her out to watch TV, and Liv reluctantly goes out to join... Gilda. Gilda talks about her fake job at the IRS and watches Liv carefully. Cast Starring *Rose McIver as Olivia Moore *Malcolm Goodwin as Clive Babineaux *Rahul Kohli as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti *Robert Buckley as Major Lilywhite *David Anders as Blaine DeBeers Guest Starring *Steven Weber as Vaughn Du Clark *Molly Hagan as Eva Moore *Adam Rose as Byron Thistlewaite *Nick Purcha as Evan Moore *Leanne Lapp as Rita *Bryce Hodgson as Don Eberhard *Mary Black as Clara *Paula Shaw as Clara's Friend *Carmen Moore as Helen Suzuki Co-Starring *Ryan Beil as Jimmy Hahn *Terence Kelly as Wendell Gale *Daniel Martin as Husband *Fred Henderson as Police Captain *Wolsey Brooks as Uniformed Officer/Eric *Paul Anthony as Speedy Pete *Andre Tricoteux as Chief *Jesse Haddock as Rodney Ricks *Ted Cole as Tim Addis *Cate Sproule as Verna Addis *Shamus Cochlin as Kyle Addis *Brenda Anderson as Dealer *David Mott as Chunky Man/Bill *Tanya Champoux as Wife *William "Bigsleeps" Stewart as Gang Member Zombie Traits/Skills Liv *'Wendell Gale' – Bitterness, racism Brain Food Spaghettiandbrainballs.png Spaghettiandbrainballs1.png Spaghettiandbrainballs2.png Spaghettiandbrainballs3.png Spaghettiandbrainballs4.png Spaghettiandbrainballs5.png Spaghettiandbrainballs6.png * "Marcella Hazan's brain meatball recipe" — Liv has spaghetti with brain meatballs. Body Count * Wendell Gale – a 77 year old man with fibromyalgia, who was known by many, according to his sister-in-law, as 'a cantankerous son-of-a-bitch', who hated anything and everything, including, 'the laughter of children, puppies, other races, his own race, trick-or-treaters and Christmas carolers'. Comic Panel Titles Forevaandevanamen.png Halfmanhalfmachine.png Heavymedal.png Impersonaltraining.png Deadgiveaway.png Pokerinthebear.png Behindcloseddrawers.png *FOR EVA AND EVAN, AMEN *HALF MAN, HALF MACHINE *HEAVY MEDAL *IMPERSONAL TRAINING *DEAD GIVEAWAY *POKER IN THE REAR *BEHIND CLOSED DRAWERS Title Meaning *'Grumpy Old Liv' - The title makes reference to Liv eating a cantankerous aka. grumpy old man’s brain, while also being a pun on the movie, Grumpy Old Men. Continuity * First appearances of the characters of Don E and Chief. Trivia * The line "Good God, Lemon" is a clear reference to the tv show, 30 Rock, in which Alec Baldwin's character, Jack, uses this as a catchphrase. Also the 1993 movie upon which the title is based, Grumpy Old Men, starred Jack Lemmon. * At a fan convention, Rose McIver said that the character of the brains Liv eats in this episode was her least favourite character in the series to play. Soundtrack * All You Zombies - The Hooters * I'll See You to the Door - Dick Flood * It Was a Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra Gallery 201Promo1.png 201Promo2.png 201Promo3.png 201Promo4.png 201Promo5.png 201Promo6.png 201Promo7.png Videos IZombie State of Dead Trailer The CW IZombie Inside iZombie Grumpy Old Liv The CW IZombie Grumpy Old Liv Clip The CW References Category:Season 2 Episodes Category:Season Premiere